Almost every day medical professionals face obstacles and challenges in their job. They should take a responsible approach to the treatment of patients and competently solve any issues. The life and prospects of the client depend on them, so each step should be considered and acknowledged. It is especially difficult to solve the problems of patients that are related to mental health. In addition, it might be a hurdle for health care professionals to tackle issues and overcome patients’ psychological addictions. Challenges and responsibilities in the medical field are morally difficult decisions, stress, and immediate reactions.
Health care professionals often experience and suffer from difficult moral decisions. Patients come to doctors with different life situations, and most often, their problematic issues cause mental disorders. Patients ‘ problems range from domestic violence to personal crime (Larsson et al., 2018). There are situations when patients with substance use disorders return due to relapses after remissions (Worley, 2016). Many medical workers are frustrated and even disappointed about the improvement of patients’ life quality.
Moreover, patients may feel withdrawal symptoms, quarrel with doctors, or behave not quite adequately. This behavior is not something that everyone can mentally withstand, especially if he or she faces it every day. In addition, when people die in the hospital from an overdose of narcotic substances, the workers can feel moral pain for clients (Worley, 2016). The death of a person is always a heavy moral loss. Moreover, health professionals may worry about patients with mental health problems, who are among the most vulnerable and disabled ones (Lerbæk et al., 2019). The realization that a person will never be able to overcome the problem and function normally in society puts a lot of pressure on the moral feelings of the specialist.
Constant stress in the workplace can be one of the challenges for health care experts. Stressors tend to appear repeatedly in the life of a medical professional (Larsson et al., 2018). Pressure can occur when a person is aware of morally appropriate methods but cannot tolerate them due to laws, and personal or formal beliefs (Larsson et al., 2018). Another factor in the occurrence of stress can be a lack of support from the authorities or when a person acts in the right way but against the company’s policies (Larsson et al., 2018). For example, a medical professional wants to help a person with serious addiction and, at the request of the patient, brings his relatives to the medical institution. However, the hospital forbids it, and in such cases, the employee must sacrifice either work or humanity. Most stressful situations with substance use disorder specialists and mental health professionals arise from feelings of guilt (Larsson et al., 2018). Stress can also be caused by an awareness of responsibilities, such as making the right diagnosis and treatment, and a correct and latent attitude towards people (Lerbæk et al., 2019).
Finally, yet importantly, it is the responsibility of substance use disorders and mental health professionals to make immediate decisions. According to the study, medical professionals often have to make quick, deliberate regulations related to the condition of patients (Larsson et al., 2018). It can be both first aid and emergency surgery to cleanse the body of toxins. Such responsibility may also apply to urgent actions to prevent an unexplained or difficult-to-deal client with mental disabilities. Health care workers need to be ready to make an informed choice that can save patients anywhere and at any time. To conclude, morally difficult decisions, stress, and immediate reactions are significant challenges and responsibilities of health care professionals.
References
Larsson, G., Nilsson, S., Hyllengren, P., Ohlsson, A., Waaler, G., & Kallenberg, K. (2018). Stress reactions following acute situations involving moral challenges among health care professionals. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 59(2), 177–185. Web.
Lerbæk, B., Jørgensen, R., Aagaard, J., Nordgaard, J., & Buus, N. (2019). Mental health care professionals’ accounts of actions and responsibilities related to managing physical health among people with severe mental illness. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 33(2), 174–181. Web.
Worley, J. (2016). Recovery in substance use disorders: What to Know to Inform Practice. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 38(1), 80–91. Web.